China probes protest around US ambassador's car

Associated Press

September 19, 2012Updated: September 19, 2012 9:20pm

BEIJING — China said Wednesday it was investigating an incident where about 50 protesters surrounded the car of the U.S. ambassador, tried to block him from entering the embassy compound and ripped the car's flag.

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Chinese police cleared roadblocks and some Japanese businesses reopened after days of large, sometimes violent protests in many cities over Japan's recent purchase of islands also claimed by China.

In Beijing, the bitterness spilled over from the Japanese Embassy to the nearby U.S. Embassy.

U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke, the former governor of Washington, told reporters Wednesday that authorities were “very quick” to move the demonstrators away.

Video posted on YouTube showed a small number of protesters throwing small objects at the car before Chinese security forces moved in to break up the crowd.

“It was all over in a matter of minutes, and I never felt in any danger,” Locke said.

The U.S., a close ally of Japan, has said it is staying out of the dispute over the islands.

The incident came amid heightened vigilance for American diplomats after violent attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya, Yemen and Egypt. The embassy said it has asked China's government to do everything possible to protect American facilities and personnel.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. has registered its concern with China both in Washington and Beijing, and Chinese authorities have expressed regret over the incident.

Nuland said the preliminary U.S. assessment was that the car was “a target of opportunity” for protesters who had gathered outside the nearby Japanese Embassy.

The protests over the weekend were triggered by the Japanese government's decision last week to purchase some disputed East China Sea islands from their private Japanese owners. More demonstrations followed Tuesday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of China, an emotional remembrance that further stoked the outrage.

Though the anti-Japan demonstrations have wound down, there has been no progress in resolving the territorial dispute between the two Asian economic powerhouses.